Mobile Application Testing: Steps to Take and Tips to Consider Before Releasing Your App

In software development, rigorous mobile app testing is essential. The app market is extremely competitive, and for many potential customers, nothing short of perfection will suffice—if such a thing were possible. At the same time, startups aim to accelerate time to market and release at least a basic version of their product to users as soon as possible. This is especially true for companies developing mobile applications.

Mobile apps must look and feel greweat, engaging users from the moment they see the app icon in the App Store or Google Play. According to AppsFlyer, one in two apps is uninstalled within a month of being downloaded. Usability issues—such as navigation problems, unclear interfaces, and input difficulties—are the primary reasons for user drop-off.

A high-quality digital product must function smoothly and deliver a seamless user experience. That’s why quality assurance through thorough testing is so important—it helps detect and eliminate code errors before launch.

In this article, we’ll examine the key types, stages, and challenges of mobile application testing in more detail.

Types of Mobile Applications

There are primarily three different types of mobile applications, and they vary in their design, compatibility, and functionality across different platforms. Understanding the types of mobile applications is crucial for an effective testing strategy.

These types are:

Native apps: These are mobile applications designed and developed for a specific operating system (iOS or Android). They provide optimised performance, reliability, and access to device-specific features.

Web apps, on the other hand, are accessed through a web browser; they do not require any installation on your local computer, making them platform-independent. However, it is completely dependent on the user’s device’s browser.

Hybrid apps: Hybrid apps combine the elements of web and native apps into a single solution. Additionally, they offer cross-platform compatibility while leveraging native device capabilities.

Testing methodologies for each type of mobile application may differ, as each type has its unique characteristics and requirements.

Mobile App Testing Process

There is no one-size-fits-all framework or approach to app testing. In general, it usually includes the following steps:

Test Planning

The first step is to prepare for the process: testers determine what needs to be tested in mobile apps and how it should be tested effectively.

Mobile app testing is quite extensive due to device fragmentation, the necessity of backward compatibility, and other factors. It’s vital to prioritise at the planning stage: test the core functions of the app — on all levels — on core devices with several connectivity modes.

Test Analysis

For mobile apps, QA teams consider more than just whether the app functions correctly. They evaluate different device combinations, select appropriate emulators and simulators, and account for variations in user experience across mobile platforms.

The test analysis phase involves identifying which features need testing, defining the conditions for each test, and prioritizing what should be tested first. QA specialists create use cases that guide manual testers in spotting bugs or serve as the basis for automated test scripts.

In agile or iterative development, unit testing and integration testing are performed by developers at the end of each cycle. These are part of quality assurance but are often excluded from linear test descriptions because they occur repeatedly throughout the process.

It is also important to have clear quality control guidelines in place from the beginning. These help identify flaws in the app’s structure early on. Running field tests and testing across different sensors, screens, devices, and environmental conditions as early as possible helps ensure better outcomes later.

Test Design

To improve the reliability and quality of mobile apps, developers and testers apply established test design techniques when building test cases. This helps cover a wide range of usage scenarios and catch potential issues early.

Here are some of the most commonly used test design techniques in mobile QA:

• Boundary value analysis (BVA): Tests values at the edges of input ranges. For example, checking how an app handles zero, negative numbers, or very high values in a quantity field.
• Equivalence partitioning: Divides input data into groups where the app is expected to behave similarly. This could mean testing a login form with valid and invalid entries, including blank fields or incorrect formats.
• Pairwise testing: Combines two input variables at a time to reveal interactions that might cause errors. For instance, testing different combinations of products and quantities in a shopping cart.
• State transition testing: Focuses on how the app behaves as it moves between different states. This could involve switching between screens, logging in and out, or triggering transitions that might expose logic issues.

Test Implementation and Execution

This stage involves the QA team gathering the required mobile app testing tools. Testing may be manual or automated, and tools for both approaches are used at various test levels and across different test types.

Test automation for mobile apps works a bit differently than it does for desktop or web-based software. Although it still uses scripts, making a mobile app accessible from a computer for testing purposes requires a “driver.” This is a program that connects code from the developer environment to the target device, emulator, or a cloud-based testing platform.

For Android apps, testers use UI Automator, a driver developed by Google. For iOS apps, XCUITest is the standard tool used within Apple’s Xcode environment. Both are designed specifically for native mobile applications. For hybrid and cross-platform apps, testers often use tools like Appium, which translates test instructions into commands understood by the native environments of both iOS and Android.

There are many other tools available for mobile test automation, and they are becoming more accessible. In the past, automated testing was mostly used by companies with large-scale apps and high budgets. Today, even small startups can use open-source tools for UI testing, security testing, and compatibility checks. Many of these tools include custom drivers tailored to native or hybrid apps.

Once the right tools are in place, the team proceeds with test execution. This includes running planned tests, retesting after releases, and testing app updates as part of regular maintenance.

Real Device vs Emulator/Simulator in Mobile App Testing

Deciding whether to test on real devices or with emulators and simulators is an important part of your mobile testing strategy, as each approach offers unique advantages.

Testing on a real mobile device means installing the app directly onto a physical device. This allows testers to check how the app functions, how it interacts with hardware features, and whether it delivers the expected performance and reliability. The main challenge with this approach is covering the wide range of devices and operating systems available.

Testing on an emulator or simulator offers a virtual alternative. These tools replicate mobile environments using software and tend to be faster for some tasks. They are especially useful during early development and for running parallel automated tests using frameworks like Appium and Espresso.

For the best results, it’s recommended to use a mix of real devices and emulators or simulators. This ensures coverage of both real-world usage and efficient automation, helping QA teams detect a wider range of issues across different environments.

Levels, Types, and Methods of Software Testing

To explain the levels and types of software testing, we’ll refer to the classification outlined in the fourth edition of Foundations of Software Testing: ISTQB Certification, along with the ISTQB syllabus for mobile testers. Together, they provide a solid theoretical foundation for understanding these key concepts.

Testing Levels

Testing levels describe the hierarchy of tests used during the development and quality assurance process. First, we’ll cover the standard levels applicable to all types of software. After that, we’ll look at testing levels specific to mobile apps, including both native and cross-platform applications.

• Unit tests focus on verifying that the smallest parts of the codebase work correctly. These are written and executed by developers, not QA testers. Unit testing also includes checks on database models, data structures, and class methods.
• Integration tests ensure that different modules within the app interact as intended. This includes verifying communication between subsystems, APIs, databases, and services. Integration testing also highlights interface issues between app components. Like unit tests, these are usually conducted by developers or technical leads.
• System tests validate the functional and technical integrity of the application as a whole. QA engineers test whether the app works correctly in the intended mobile operating system and performs according to the product specifications.
• Acceptance tests assess whether the final product meets user expectations and business requirements. These tests confirm that the app works for real users, aligns with stakeholder specifications, complies with industry regulations, and maintains high performance. Acceptance testing is often the final step before launch.

‍Mobile-Specific Testing Levels

Field testing is a mobile-specific level of testing that ensures the app functions well across various real-world conditions. This includes running tests over different network types such as Wi-Fi and mobile data, varying signal strengths, and across a wide range of mobile phone models. Field testing is essential for uncovering issues that may not appear in lab conditions, especially on target devices used in different physical environments.

Testing for app store approval and post-release monitoring is another level that applies particularly to mobile development. Typically carried out during the final development cycles, this involves running checklist-based tests to confirm that the app complies with Apple App Store or Google Play requirements. These tests check for proper UI implementation, integration with store APIs, and readiness for public release. After launch, this level also includes post-production testing, such as validating updates and monitoring how new versions perform in real-world use.

Mobile App Test Types

Functional Testing

Functional testing verifies whether the mobile app meets its functional requirements. Both developers and testers are involved in this process, depending on the type of testing. The following are common categories of functional mobile testing:

• Interoperability testing ensures the app handles interruptions well, operates smoothly across different operating system versions, and interacts correctly with other apps or APIs.
• Regression testing is conducted after code changes to make sure that no new bugs are introduced and previous functionality still works as expected. This can be partly automated.
• Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, checks the most critical app functions on a new build to ensure it is stable enough for further testing.
• Sanity testing is a focused check performed after receiving a new build. It ensures specific features or bug fixes work correctly and haven’t introduced new problems.

Non-Functional Testing

Non-functional testing examines how the app performs under various conditions rather than what it does.

• Usability testing evaluates how intuitive and user-friendly the app is. It focuses on UX design, layout clarity, and overall ease of use.
• Performance testing measures the app’s responsiveness, speed, stability, and reliability. This includes:
  • Load testing to assess whether the app can manage expected traffic.
  • Stress testing to find its breaking point under heavy usage.
  • Endurance testing to evaluate performance over an extended period.
  • Spike testing to observe the app's behaviour under sudden traffic increases.
• Compatibility testing checks the app's behaviour across different devices, screen sizes, operating systems, and hardware configurations.
• Recovery testing examines how well the app can recover from crashes, power loss, or network failures, ensuring that data is preserved or correctly restored.
• Security testing is crucial for identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring user data remains protected. It includes:
  • Vulnerability testing, usually automated, scans for misconfigurations, coding flaws, and security gaps.
  • Penetration testing, often manual, simulates attacks to explore potential security loopholes without harming the system.

Interrupt Testing

Interrupt testing simulates real-life disruptions to assess how well the app handles unexpected events. This includes:

• System notifications such as low battery alerts or update reminders.
• User-initiated actions like incoming calls, texts, or switching to another app mid-use.
• External changes such as network disconnections, rotating the device, or plugging in headphones or chargers.

The goal is to ensure that the app can pause, resume, or recover correctly without losing data or crashing.

Localisation and Globalisation Testing

• Localisation testing checks whether the app is properly adapted for specific languages, cultures, and regions. This includes translating content and adjusting UI elements to suit local norms.
• Globalisation testing verifies that the app supports global use, including handling various languages, currencies, number formats, and date/time standards.

Cross-Platform Testing

Cross-platform testing ensures the app works as expected on both iOS and Android, as well as across different device types like smartphones and tablets. It helps catch issues related to layout, performance, or functionality that may vary across platforms and screen sizes.

It’s important to note that test types may be grouped differently depending on the source. For example, usability, performance, and localisation testing are often classified as non-functional, while others may include compliance, scalability, or even profitability as additional testing categories.

Mobile Application Testing Checklist

• Functional testing
• Compatibility testing (OS versions, device shells, third-party services, hardware, external devices)
• Interrupt testing
• Security testing
• Permission testing (camera, microphone, gallery, etc.)
• Data transfer testing
• Localisation and globalisation testing
• Usability testing
• Stress testing
• Cross-platform testing
• Performance testing

Key Challenges in Mobile App Testing

Developing a test strategy for mobile apps involves planning the goals, testing approaches, and ways to manage risks effectively. Mobile testing presents more complexity than many other platforms, especially when targeting regulated industries or launching feature-rich apps. While exhaustive testing isn’t realistic, knowing where to expect challenges can help teams prioritise effectively.

Global Device Variety

The sheer number of mobile manufacturers and device models creates a significant testing challenge. Brands like Samsung alone release dozens of different models. Most run on iOS or Android, but the differences go far beyond operating systems — screen sizes, hardware specs, and firmware all vary widely.

To manage this, QA teams use several strategies:

• Targeting the most-used devices based on audience research
• Employing emulators and cloud-based device labs
• Running bug-hunting campaigns on real devices
• Designing responsive UI components to accommodate different screen sizes and resolutions

Foldable screens add another layer of complexity. To support testers, platforms like Google provide specific guidelines for these newer device types.

Evolving User Expectations

Today’s users demand more than just functionality. Speed, visual performance, reliability, and seamless navigation are all expected by default. Apps that don’t meet these standards are quickly uninstalled.

To stay ahead, teams must:

• Monitor competitor apps and user reviews
• Collaborate closely with product managers and community teams
• Use feedback loops to adapt testing priorities post-launch

Security Concerns

Application Security Testing (AST) is more critical than ever. Mobile apps are frequent targets of identity theft, malware, and cryptojacking. Apps dealing with sensitive health or financial data are especially vulnerable.

Recommended strategies include:

• Performing vulnerability scans with automated tools
• Conducting manual penetration testing
• Using security checklists that reflect the latest threat trends
• Running exploratory tests that simulate real-world hacker behaviour

Battery, Memory, and Storage Impact

Users are sensitive to how apps affect their device’s battery life and memory. Apps with rich functionality often use more resources, which can cause user frustration or device overheating.

To minimise impact:

• Optimise for background activity and defer non-essential operations
• Introduce dark mode to reduce display energy consumption
• Test for energy drain, memory spikes, and excessive storage use
• Include these tests during field and stress testing stages

Pro Tips for Effective Testing

Testing software is a crucial process that requires diligence, attention to detail, specialised knowledge, and access to the right tools. Here are some additional useful tips that QA analysts and testers should keep in mind:

1. Pursue maximum testing coverage

Testing coverage refers to the number of tests and their corresponding scenarios. The primary objective is to meet the Functional Requirements Specification (FRS), Software Requirements Specification (SRS), and User Requirement Specification (URS). It’s essential to make informed decisions about which tests to include when creating a test plan. These should be based on the budget and the priority of the requirements.

2. Proceed gradually

There is good practice for achieving maximum testing coverage within a tight budget. QA specialists should divide the app’s functionality to be tested into small modules. Then, a reasonable combination of tests and their corresponding scenarios is selected for each unit. Such an approach helps avoid unnecessary or duplicate testing and increases the project's cost efficiency.

3. Try different scenarios

In real life, the software does not operate under ideal conditions. Therefore, it is essential to run both positive and negative scenarios. The difference between them is that the latter receives the invalid/improper datasets as input instead of the correct ones. Conducting negative checks allows testers to predict software behaviour and potential crashes.

4. Conduct server- and client-side testing

Most apps operate under the client-server model, meaning that they have a fully functioning app downloaded on their phone, which can simultaneously contact centralised servers to access the latest and most relevant information. When running tests, it is essential to ensure that both client-side and server-side code function correctly.

5. Think outside the box

Sometimes, the test plan does not include all possible combinations of scenarios. It usually happens with innovative, feature-rich app development. Alternatively, some combinations of tests and scenarios may not work as expected for some reason. In any case, it’s sometimes useful to take a different perspective; for example, choose another framework or a mobile app testing tool, perform testing manually instead of automatically, and so on.

6. Write your test cases early

Once again, the main goal is to ensure maximum test coverage. For this purpose, test cases should be done during the analysis and design stages of product development. This way, QAs have enough time to verify the validity of all the requirements.

7. Test on real devices

Emulators save time and resources at the early stages of the development lifecycle. However, testing on real mobile devices is crucial for proper quality assurance. Only they can give truly realistic results.

Getting Started With App Testing

Application development cannot exist without quality control and extensive testing. Software testing is a rigorous, multidimensional process that begins by creating a comprehensive test plan and outlining a clear strategy. If executed correctly, mobile app testing has a significant impact on the quality of the final product, user experience, and overall cost-effectiveness of the project.

Selecting the proper app testing tools and strategies is crucial. However, the expertise of software developers and testers plays a paramount role in mobile testing.

If you need help with QA, contact us with your project’s details.

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FAQ

1. What are the most important steps in mobile app testing?

The most crucial steps include test planning, test case design, implementation, and execution. These steps ensure your app is functional, user-friendly, and compatible across devices and platforms.

2. Should I test my mobile app on real devices or emulators?

Both have advantages. Emulators are great for early-stage testing, while real devices provide accurate results for performance, UI, and real-world usage scenarios. Ideally, use a mix of both for a thorough mobile testing strategy.

3. What types of testing are essential before launching a mobile app?

Key testing types include functional testing, performance testing, security testing, usability testing, and compatibility testing. These ensure your app is reliable, fast, and secure on all target platforms.

4. How does mobile app testing differ between Android and iOS?

Android testing must account for a wide range of devices and OS versions, while iOS has stricter App Store guidelines and fewer device variations. Cross-platform testing tools like Appium help manage differences efficiently.

5. Can mobile app testing be automated?

Yes, mobile testing can be automated using tools like Appium, XCUITest, and UI Automator. Automation increases testing efficiency, especially for regression and performance tests, but should be combined with manual testing for best results.